Solo gone wild vs Legit
 

Quoted from another thread:
I would agree with this to a point. There is a few legits with a decent population, but I don't think "new" servers have any hope of attracting legit (or classic grind) players.
People that develop those types of "preserved era content" may want to ask themselves "Has the well gone dry for classic player interest?" Unless the whole project
gets a surge of new players signing up, most of the time, any new classic grind servers popping up will not see an interest. It would be unrealistic to think anyone is going
to draw players away from servers like P99 and others to generate their own population, so obviously when a player has to rely on looking for groups or guilds on a new
server, they won't exist. (The classic player base is not big enough to accomodate new servers)
The biggest (common) pattern we see on new servers is when only a few casual players logon at a time, getting leveled and way ahead before other new players join in,
which also contributes to the "nobody to group with" factor. You could have 50 seperate players looking at a server with 0 population, all thinking the same thing, but even
though all 50 may want to group, the odds of them logging on together, just won't happen.
Many people ignore the most obvious problem, which is communication. Individuals creating a new server climb on these forums without hesitation, but we will never hear
from the majority of the casual player base. It has nothing to do with how much uber work one puts into a server or how great the content is. One could spend 3 years
developing a server before it's launched and have no idea whether any significant amount of players are going to like it. (I'm referring to all types)
If you noticed a successful server like Raid Addicts, it mentions at one point in the past of making it more solo friendly. I'm inclined to think, since RA was a successful
server in the past, the "more solo friendly" decision was based on the modern player desires, which proved to be more beneficial for the server. I tip my hat to him :)

Just to point out - IMHO you con confusing Legit with Custom.
Legit doesn't mean "just the hardcore classic", it means no GM commands/cheats.
A custom solo server can be 100% LEGIT =P

This is a very good point ;)

Technically, yes, you're right. It's really a matter of how each person puts labels on the various types of servers. Sometimes I try to phrase it with "classic grind" when referring
to old school EQ, which is probably a better choice for understanding my point. Too many variables in the communication database. :P But just as an added thought, a "classic"
tag on the Server Type would be a great idea under "view server description" But some players might stop reading at that point.

Good points. When I contemplated a hybrid Antonica//Kunark//Velious server, one thing I considered was using the original class's and races, and extending them. Next re-normalize all zones from newbie to end. After all that...extend each expansion by adding numerous zones in various places that are customized. Think adding in the expansion that added Crescent Reach and the Drakkin. I waffled on whether to add them or not to, never did quite decide. Though they would be somewhat entertaining as the primary plot was to extend and more comprehensively finish off the Dragons Vs. Giants story line. Another add in would be to make deity really alter a characters progression. A dark elf cleric would not likely have all the same exact spells and ways of doing things as a high elf...

Class extension:: Warrior modified by berzerker attributes.
--
Class extension:: Clerics of good act good per normal, but solo better due to nicely modded spells such and Vs. Undead, and perhaps Vs. opposing humanoid faction. Where as a Dark Elf Cleric would likely resemble a heavily beefed up (healing wise) Necro / Shaman depending.

Another cool thing was how Shards of Dalaya had actual mining!

Anyhow, all that to say that I agree.

Peace

The custom I am working on right now, even though the expansions being used didn't orginally include Drakkin race and Beserker class, I included them anyway.
I do find it more innovative to mix a little "classic" content with customized zones outside the classic expansions which helps break the boredom of old school.

if you have to box a whole group or 20+ toons....that crap not hip anymore is what i was saying the majority of EQemu community can or wants to play solo/duo content we dont need more p99/alkabor servers they never take off.
no flame to the people who do have these servers i wish you the best of luck but they 99% of the time flop. i enjoy the freedom of being able to do my own thing but i hate servers that set it up to blaze trough it in a week. if you want a really good solo server that still has that nostalgic feel and grind go to casual dreams you wont blaze trough that server or raid addicts it pretty good to but most of em out now your top dog in 1 or 2 weeks. wish i knew coding and stuff i always have some really fun and good ideas lol.

Exactly. That's what generates that typical scenario of a server experiencing a possible small surge after launch, players bulldoze to the end and fade away.
But if you slow that leveling and experience down, (keeping the content soloable), would those same "bulldozing" players still be interested ?

My server idea includes something like that, except rather than taking original Trilogy as base, I reuse its zones and build a completely different world map outlined with new/modified lore.

Another path that I also pursuing, putting those deity alignments into good use, because sadly LIVE never used them much for anything.
Consider Mage that follows Ro (Fire) vs Mage that follows Xegony (Air),
or for example I consider taking Necromancer template, and splitting it into 2 different classes - one thats follows Innoruk is a Necromancer that is master of undead, and another - following Bertoxulos, is a Defiler, that is master of Plague. Etc.


Yeah I thought of this too, I figured it could be easily implemented using Rock pile model from new Tutorial zone, and client variables when trying to interact with it ;) Foraging/gathering for all classes can be implemented the same way.

@CSZ,

What server...?

Sounds cool!

Unfortunately so far this server only exists in my mind ;)
I have developing and documenting the ideas - which now 50 mb file - but it still far from being actually implemented ;) Hopefully one day ;)

I must admit, I would very much like to chat with you on ideas...

I mained a cleric within the live endgame, and my offdays box was a warrior. Later I added a max level for era necro for pure fun.

Well I don't have much time to set up a scheduled chat, but feel free to sent a PM ;)

My definitions, and I think I share this with quite a few people:

"Classic Grind" = It's almost easier to just play a progression server on live.
"Not-classic grind" = Any of the Emu servers that aren't as big a timesink due to bots, permitted MQ2, customized for solo / group play, or entirely unique content.

Ie; require a pickaxe to be equipped so you can pick up the rock pile? How would one go about coding that? Like which server code file would be a good start ;).

its been a while since I actually coded but it would go like this:

You "hail" the Rockpile
Rockpile offers you a click link "mine"
You click "mine" - the code runs and checks if you have Pick Axe equipped, then it checks a client variable where it stores your Mining Skill, forces attack animation on our char and produces result ;)

In a word... No.

In my experience, slowing down leveling and experience for most players is like watching paint dry.

It sounds good, but while thinking that slowing things down will make it a challenge, that's not the kind of challenge most players want.

In my opinion, (and it is just an opinion), let them advance fast. Let them bulldoze to their hearts content. Just keep giving them more and more and more to bulldoze.

But, the issue with that is that you have to be willing and able to keep developing content that people actually want to do.

Then you have to decide how much time you can spend on it.

The time you can spend on ideas and development is a major factor in the success of the server.

I agree and disagree. I agree let people bulldoze content. Heck in diablo 2 people got good enough to hit the rough softcap of lvl 87 in a day or so. They were just skilled. That didn't stop them from having fun with the character for years or just make more alts. If the game is FUN then people will keep playing regardless how quick they beat the game. Heck I bet most people who play eq now 18 years later have still yet to seriously try half of the classes! So the key should be to focus on the fun. Now yes you should keep things fresh but not by zoneflation. The reason I never came back to eq after 1999 was because all the old zones I loved were abandoned. Diablo 2 did a great job of creating divergent content; like fury visor and warshrikes and death's web and other items that let you play a class in vastly different ways and were very exciting to make an alt and level them solely to use that item. So you don't have to screw up the game like sony did to keep things fresh and fun.

You're not REALLY disagreeing with me :-D

New content does not always mean new zones. Just something new for the players to work on.

Unfortunately most players who cry about new content DO mean "new zones", "new stuff that didn't exist in EQ live" instead of, "There are literally hundreds of quests I've never done" or "I've never played XYZ class, maybe I'll do that!"

I'm playing through Crescent Reach and the surrounding zones because I've never been there before. It's neat. The quests are super minimal, so I'm going to implement them as I go along (unless work interrupts, which it probably will, but it's still a goal!)

There is only two tags needed on the whole list. Emuquest and Everquest :roll:

These are the servers who are (currently) maintaining an average of 30+ players
(Numbers subject to change weekly or monthly) Info gathered from stats on the
server list page.
P99 883
EZ Server 268
PEQTGC 222
P99 (PvP) 112
Dragon Soul 96
Al'Kabor 94
EQTitan 93
The Hidden Forest 69
Raid Addicts 57
Shards of Dalaya 46
Imperium 36

Hmm,I am really not sure how many REAL players are among those numbers. I know that PEQ, RA and THF all very boxer heavy.

Ya, a lot of servers are allowing some form of boxing now. Even EZ's guide on their website
indicates that "most people here box 3 to 12 characters".

This is why I support the use of bots. Comparing them to boxing, you still have to gear up all your own toons either way,
but with bots, they all level together, you don't have to buy spells for them and never have to worry about their corpses.
But if a server is going to head towards "solo", as compared to the classic "need a group", I am an "all or nothing" type of
guy with no grey areas inbetween. Whether boxing or bots, go all the way with it, or not at all. Then live with the decision
whether it turns out positive or negative. Obviously the boxing has turned out positive for servers like EZ and others. But
if you ask the opinion of 100 different players, they will all have something different to say. We hear all sorts of rants
and raves about what players hated on EQ Live. "Been there, done that, don't want to do it again", "Didn't like this or that",
but then all these custom servers reinvent what they think EQ should be like, then again, we hear opinions, "I don't like that".
Some say they don't like boxing, some don't like bots, some don't like MQ2. I even read about someone complaining that when
he zoned, his toon heading wasn't pointed in the right direction. (He must of accidently glued his mouse to the puter desk).

As for what my own eyes see, I have no choice but to believe statistical facts over individual opinions that try to speak for
the rest of the player base. While "some" players are definately looking for something new (custom), when you look at the
population of a server like P99, others are quite happy with locked content.

As I indicated in my OP on this thread, there is a variety out there. Solo servers, classic grind, boxing, mercs, bots,
custom content, items and gear, custom zones, locked or unlocked expansions, buff bots, porters, corpse summoners, etc.
It's usually the odd individual with "picky" preferences that will show up on these forums looking for something special.
Like, "Oh I am looking for a solo server, easy but not too easy, with people on it to talk to, but no boxing or bots, in case
I want to group once in awhile. Mercs are ok as long as I can solo good with them and free starter gear, but no defiant, with
a porting npc and buff bot placed on the north side of the PoK for easy access." ...Sure, I'll get to work on that right away.

The_Beast, I think there is one significant difference to point out.

The P99 is the ONLY true 100% Classic server - its that server where you COUNT on being able to get groups as required per game set up. Even then, HALF of newbie posts on P99 forums ask - "which class is better for soloing?"

All other players scattered around all other server want something LESS hardcore than P99. And then the "Been there, done that, don't want to do it again" - comes in - most of so called CUSTOM servers are basically: PEQ DB with 3x XP and a couple custom raids here and there. In other words, the server is neither true classic, but it is still 99% same old content I already seen 13 years ago and done to the death.

The server has to be REALLY CUSTOM and inspiring to catch the players attention.

I short I do believe that majority of players would prefer a server where anyone could SOLO, but then easily get a group if they wanted to.
It just some players more of on one of side of group/solo fence and some more on the other.
P99 allows that to some classes up to some level, and it got population to make it possible.

As far as I'm concerned, the most one can do in customization, to make a server more unique than others,
is new zone/npc visuals and new items. If thats what gets players excited. No matter how custom the quests
are, it's all the same in the end. Kill mobs, do turn-ins, get rewards and get leveled. New quests can be made
to have different NPC's to hail, different zones to collect items from, but still have the same plot in the end.
Brand new custom zones can be created, or simply revamp an old zone, fill it up with npc's and custom stats
but the only thing that changes is the visuals. So one can say "I'm tired of looking at the orcs in commons,
so give me a new npc in a new zone for my tank to dual wield on."
Don't get me wrong, I'm not being grim about the game, my point is, it's not a matter of "been there, done that".
No matter how custom the server is, it really is "been there and still doing it". Just different visuals to look at
and different quests to do.
Trees, rocks and hills come in many different shapes and colors but we want to see them all and climb them all.